Arabesque

Once your hormonal flush evens out the acne should disappear so about when you lose the bulk of your weight. I’m almost 58 & I was complaining the other day about a big blind pimple on my chin. Waah! Can’t blame what I eat & can’t blame hormones anymore. Just life unfortunately.

Structures aren’t that common & not everyone has plastic surgery. I didn’t have a stricture & neither did my three friends (one also in her 50s, one in her 40s & one in her 20s) who had surgery. Only one of us has had plastic surgery - the younger one. She lost more weight than the rest of us. She had it because it was affecting the activity she wanted to do & she was having to buy larger size clothes simply because of the excess skin. They will do cardiac testing before your surgery but make sure you tell your team about your breathing difficulties especially after anaesthetic & maybe ask for some respiratory testing to be done as well.

I went to the movies this morning. (My cleaner was at my house & I feel like an lazy ass if she’s working & … I’m not.) Was going to take a pxt of how bundled up I was but the cinema was too dark. Why do the make cinemas sooooo dang cold? I had on a big thick alpaca jumper & a long oversized knitted coat which I used as a granny knee rug & I was still cold.The coat is from my before days & is about 6 sizes too big but it always kept me warm. I keep it as an emergency coat in my car & cause I can wrap it around me a few times now.

15lbs in about a month is fine @Metamul. You haven’t failed at all. Remember there is no right or wrong right of loss. You’ll lose at your own rate & at a rate that’s best for your body. Your rate of loss has nothing to do with whether you’ll lose your weight except it may take a little longer and that’s okay too. You’re doing great. You’re probably starting to recognise the difference between real hunger & head hunger. Yes, they do feel different. You tend to crave a specific food, texture or flavour with real hunger. I get restless as if something is wrong then I realise I’m hungry. And there is always a legitimate & logical reason I’m hungry - haven’t eaten for a while, missed a meal, didn’t eat much earlier in the day.

I had my sleeve four years ago at almost 54 so a little younger & also female. Also no diabetes or other co morbidities. I lost all my weight & more & have basically kept it off (apart from a slight hiccup with a medication absorption issue). My fluctuation weight initially was 48.5-49.5kg & is now about 49.5-50.1kgs - maybe my weight settling. I am careful with what & how much I eat. Which you would be already doing a lot with managing your diabetes. I mostly eat whole foods that are low or no processed. I’m not really active: just stretches & resistance bands - wouldn’t burn 30 calories. The changes I made to what & how I eat were sustainable & easy to manage. I don’t feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices to maintain my weight. I also feel my choices aren’t negatively impacting how I want to live & enjoy my life. If the opposite was true & I felt I was missing out or couldn’t enjoy my life I would not be able to maintain & would have been gaining weight . But yes things do happen in life that throw a lot of that out the window: personal & professional stress, emotional traumas, health issues, etc. Our weight can resettle into its new set point (where it’s most happy) which is higher. Our initial way of eating may have been too restrictive & unsustainable to maintain a lower weight. Or we simply become a little complacent. I didn’t have any complications or issues post surgery but my tummy can be a bit fussy - quirky - & I have random episodes of the foamies for often unknown reasons. There are certain foods I can’t eat (like breads, pasta & rice sit heavily in my tummy) but it doesn’t bother me. There were foods I couldn’t tolerate before surgery or avoided because my tummy was always a bit fussy, had some sensitivities & to manage my reflux. So no big change really.

I had a gin & tonic (well & regularly stirred to reduce the gas), which I truly sipped for hours, at about 8 weeks. Then another one about a month or so later. Honestly they didn’t taste the same & I didn’t enjoy them as much. I chose G&Ts as I was very sensitive to sweet & preferred the bitter of the tonic. I only have a drink maybe once a month or less often. Usually only one. I still take a while to drink it & sometimes I don’t finish it. I don’t know if the alcohol affects me more quickly or if I process it more quickly as I drink so little & so slowly to make a real judgement. I used to have a large glass of wine or scotch (or both) every night, sometimes one at lunch too if out. but I really don’t miss it now. My friends all drink & it doesn’t affect our dynamic if I don’t or only have one drink. More champagne for them they say! I’m more selective about what I drink - quality over quantity hence the champagne. May be remember all the empty calories your friends are drinking while the number on your scales continues to go down.

Cucumber wedges. Sprinkle with a little salt. Yum. The high water content should make cucumber easy to eat & digest. Worth a try anyway. If you can’t have raw vegetables yet, which is so you don’t strain or overtax your digestion, roasted chick peas & fava beans, & vegetable chips may be off the table too (too dry & coarse) but check with your dietician to be sure & for suggestions. You never know. I was told my vegetables had to be soft & well cooked (almost mushy) to begin.

Check with your dietician for meal ideas & guidelines about portion sizes, calories, nutrient goals, number of meals a day, etc. Then measure, weigh & track your food every meal & then make the necessary changes. If you are eating too many calories, swap out your food choices to more nutrient dense foods & foods that are lower in fats, sugars & carbs. Look to whole & low or no processed foods. If your portions are too large, reduce the sizes. Make sure you’re hitting your protein & fluid goals every day. It will always be better to eat real food than have a protein shake once your through those initial stages post surgery. I didn’t have another shake after the liquid stage. I know some people do continue to have shakes but I’m a believer in learning & establishing new & life time eating habits & food choices that work in your lifestyle as soon as possible. Shakes aren’t really sustainable in the long term & can feel like you are restricting or limiting yourself. I believe people put on weight after being on a shake diet because they relied on the shakes & didn’t learn how to make better food choices or change their eating behaviours. Fluctuations while you are losing are to be expected. Your weight loss isn’t a consistent straight line down. It will go & down & plateau. As long as the general trend is downwards you’re okay.

I agree to check with your team especially your dietician first & they’ll give you their recommendations, foods to avoid or include, when to introduce certain foods, any nutrient goals (maximums & minimums), etc. Focus on eating your protein first, then your vegetables & finally & only if you are able, any carbs you are allowed. Some meals I only could eat my protein. Keep your proteins moist. As @The Greater Fool said sauces can really make a meal but also they can help to avoid the foamies from eating food that is too dry or coarse. I started with softer meats first (I ate lots of minced meat dishes initially as they were easier to eat & digest) & gradually added in denser proteins like steak. I loved leftovers & packing up single portion meals. I still do & my fridge & freezer are full of them. Great for nights you don’t feel like cooking, to take to work, etc. Don’t be surprised if your tummy can’t tolerate some foods. This is usually temporary while your tummy is still sensitive & fussy & throws the odd tantrum (like a two year old). Though it can happen randomly in the long term or there may be odd foods you really can’t eat again. I made scrambled eggs yesterday. I eat eggs quite regularly but yesterday my tummy said nope & up they came. Don’t know why. I still can’t eat bread, pasta & rice, too heavy in my tummy, though I can eat small amounts of pastry.

As @ms.sss said just ride it out. It’s not for ever - thank goodness. Though you want ketosis to occur because it’s tied to your weight loss especially in the beginning. The taste & smell changes are temporary but a great opportunity to break cravings & try new foods/flavours. For the unpleasant body odours, pack a toiletry bag with toothbrush & paste, mouthwash, body wipes, deodorant, pantry liners, etc. so you can refresh at work, when out & about or socialising as you need.

This might be your new set point too @Danpaul as @catwoman7 mentioned. That is the weight your body is happiest at. The surgery resets that happy place weight from what it was before surgery. It’s always harder to lose & maintain below that weight & if you do lose some of it your body will more easily/quickly return to the weight it prefers. It can also be easy to reset it to a higher level again through food choices & overeating. I think, for us, vigilance will always be needed to varying degrees. As you said we know the consequences of not working at maintaining our weight. I watch what I eat every day & make choices about what I will or won’t eat. It’s a lot easier to do & not as restrictive as I expected & as it was when watching what I ate while trying to lose or maintain before surgery. That is a huge bonus.

You just had a pretty major surgery & are still recovering it’s no wonder you passed out after undertaking what is quite a strenuous activity for you at this time. Though you hit your protein goal you still are eating very few calories, possibly have some low blood pressure & maybe some hypoglycaemia (sugar drop) as well. Check with your team as to their activity recommendations. Many of us are advised only gentle walking for the first weeks, slowly increasing. Take things slowly & listen to your body. While you are recovering you can’t do exactly what you did before surgery but you will again soon. Not being able to drink alcohol after surgery isn’t an absolute no @Carol97045. Sure if your post surgical plan says no alcohol for a period it time, it is best to follow that. But after that there are a few considerations around the consumption of alcohol post surgery. Empty calories & carbs is one. The habit of usually eating high fat, high sugar, high calorie, highly processed food while drinking. How your body & changed digestive system tolerates it & processes it (like feeling the effects more quickly). The most important is the possibility of addiction transfer - from food to alcohol. Does this mean you can never have alcohol again? No. What it means is you have to make your own choices around whether you do or don’t drink & if you chose to drink how much & how often based on those considerations. I drank while I was losing. Had a gin & tonic at about 8 weeks. Nursed that drink literally for hours & didn’t have another drink for another month or so. Four years out & I still only have a drink maybe once a month & usually only one. I still take a while to drink it or sometimes don’t finish it. My choice. I don’t enjoy it in the same way either. And I used to have a drink every night. And I’m far from being alone in continuing to consume alcohol.

I’m going to presume it’s your natural fluctuation. We all have a fluctuation at round which our weight bounces. It’s affected by things like hormones, fluid retention, constipation, what we eat or drink one day compared to the next, etc. Because you’re more focussed on your weight you notice the fluctuation more. Mine is about a kilo (2.2 pounds) but we all have our own. As long I basically stay within that range I’m happy.

If you are on an all liquid diet it’s a simple no. No solid foods at all. Same after surgery when you’re on an all liquid diet again. The restricted diets are there for a reason - to protect you, your health, your tummy & to avoid complications both during and after your surgery.

I eat more now than I did when I first stabilised. Then I ate about 1300 calories & did for about a year. I eat about 1500 now & have been pretty consistent at my weight (since we sorted out my HRT malabsorption issue) at about a kilogram more. Before surgery I could barely lose a kilo eating 900 calories so I love that the surgery boosted my metabolism. As most know I don’t ‘exercise’. Just stretches, use resistance bands & try to be more active in my everyday life. I did sit-ups for a while but had to give them up because of a retinal issue. Honestly even when I was doing 100 sit ups a day I was barely burning 30 calories so even less now. According to one of those online calculators my BMR requires an intake of about 1500 calories for someone my age, height, weight & activity level. I only discovered that a few months back & some time after I settled at my current calorie intake so the calculator was pretty much on the mark. It would be higher of course if I was younger, taller, weighed more &/or was more active & other factors too. As @ms.sss said it really does depend on the person. You just have to find out what works & is best for you. I also don’t count calories or weigh my food every day just do random checks to keep myself honest. And I haven’t had skin removal either.

Would have thought there’d be a good range of food at a Celtic festival. Maybe all to hearty for summer?? I’d go that cream puff though. Was it real cream or mock cream @Starwarsandcupcakes? Those strawberries do look fine @summerset. I don’t eat as much fruit anymore. Not a carb thing but because some don’t sit as well (like mangoes 😩), are too filling (watermelon) or some fruits are too large (peaches, nectarines, mandarins). It’s why I eat blueberries everyday & then go through phases of having grapes or strawberries as an extra. Anyone else struggle with certain fruits?

It’s not uncommon for our tastebuds &/or sense of smell to temporarily change making foods we used to like taste disgusting. It can also make foods we used to dislike yummy. Also ketosis (fat burning) can cause a foul taste in our mouths. Also causes bad breath, and other bodily secretions to smell unpleasant, and flu like symptoms (keto flu). It will pass. No timeline as to when though just when your body is ready. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Yep, the iron. Much like taking too much vitamin Bs make your pee more yellow.

I think you’ll get a lot of different answers too. No one size fits all & no experiences are exactly the same. The issues, motivations behind why we ate & our relationship with food can be so different as will be how we process our history, experiences & manage our recovery from our addictions, etc. You are doing the best thing by seeking help, support & guidance through therapy. I too lost my hunger & appetite & I lost most of it for about a year +/-. It gave me time to reset a lot of my thinking about food & eating, & to work out what I needed & was best for me. Before surgery food & eating were like fear, control & punishment to me. Fear of getting fat & then punishment for being weak, eating ‘bad food’ & getting fat. Trying to control what I ate & then repeatedly failing. I took what I learnt about eliminating certain foods to help manage my reflux (much like someone with a food allergy does) & applied it to all my eating. Now I choose what I eat or don’t eat. Not as a control or by force. Not as a punishment but because I’m healthier & my body works better by not having them. And consequently I feel better about myself & life. I don’t say I’m on a diet, follow a diet or describe my eating as a diet anymore either. Diet has too many negative connotations like restriction, punishment & failure to me. It’s just how & what I eat now. Have a chat with your surgeon about your existing reflux. A sleeve may only make it worse. And don’t fear a bypass/RNY. With a sleeve about 80% of your tummy is removed & the remaining part of it is still connected to your intestines in the same place as it is now. With an RNY your tummy is still there but the majority of it is bypassed & reconnected lower down your intestines. The bypass tummy you’ll use is about the same size as your sleeve tummy. You’ll eventually find your way too. All the best. PS - I too had those horrible hiccups with my reflux @Starwarsandcupcakes. Thankfully not often but sometimes several times in the one night. The next day I’d have all these pulled & strained abdominal muscles. Suffered for years until I started taking Nexium when I would have an attack & it would stop them very quickly. Post surgery my hiccups are thankfully different. My body isn’t racked by hiccups. No strained muscles. Funny is Nexium doesn’t work to stop them so they’re obviously not related to my reflux anymore.

Congratulations on getting your date confirmed. It will be here before you know it. Exciting! I’m surprised your surgeon is doing your gall removal separately to your sleeve. Many do it at the same time so only one lot of anaesthetic, gas, recovery & hospital stay. It will make the surgery a little longer so maybe that’s why they’re doing it separately. It will give you an idea of what to expect post sleeve surgery except no restricted diet after your gall is removed. You’ll feel more tired & low energy for a while after the sleeve - well that’s how I was. I had my gall removed two years after my sleeve. My surgeon used the same incisions as my sleeve so no additional scars. All the best.

You’ve just had a pretty major surgery & aren’t eating very much so feeling lethargic & low in energy is to be expected. As your body recovers & heals & you start to eat a more balanced diet & more than just fluids & purées, you’ll start to feel better. you may have odd times after when your energy drops a little as your body gets used to the changes. Like @ms.sss, I don’t think I’m quite as strong as I used to be. I seem to hit my wall a little sooner too. But I know I used to push myself to do more (carry more, lift more, work harder & longer, take in. more responsibilities, etc.) to prove my weight wasn’t limiting me in any way. I might just be more conscious of what I actually & reasonably can or can’t do now

I had a couple of baby food meals during purée stage. They were okay & handy to have on a day when purées were unpalatable or I couldn’t be bothered puréeing something. Yes, they are bland (low salt, low sugar, no spice) but it was fine for my sensitive tummy & tastebuds at that stage. If you think they’re too bland add some of your own spices to up the flavour. I just chose flavours I would enjoy as a real meal so yes meat & veges. I looked for organic brands & the ones that had the highest protein content (it’s not a lot though so don’t rely on them for most or all meals). They still have a good balance of nutrients because babies need as much, or more, nutritious food as we do - they’re just in smaller portions.

This is a great opportunity to try new brands @omrhsn. You may be surprised by which look great on you now. I love being able to wear the labels I couldn’t before but always wanted too. My credit card doesn’t like it though 😉. I think because the average size is larger than we are now, many stores only stock a few of each item in smalle sizes. Hence it being hard to find your size in sales - sold out. I’ve also discovered in high street brands if they go to a Aust 6 I need a 4 but if they do stock an Aust 4 I need a size 6. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can’t donate blood either @pintsizedmallrat. I was shocked when I found that out & realised it’s because we have less blood volume in our smaller bodies. I had the same thing happen with my rings too. It’s expensive to resize them & one couldn’t be sized down anymore due to its design. I bought some clear ring resizers from Amazon & I can wear all my rings without fear of losing them. I noticed that about crowds too @The Greater Fool. Worse that I’m short as well. In my mind I’m shouting ‘get out of my way ‘ (with colourful adjectives). But I can easily zig & zag around some of the zombies mindlessly wandering around shopping centres now. And in stores with high counters I feel like I have to wave my arms about & jump up & down to be seen. I’ve even had people say oh, I didn’t see you. Hello?!?!

They’re great. I take roasted chickpeas when travelling or going away - easy to transport & a protein boost for the day. And a great option to serve if hosting drinks. Can be moreish though. Roasted fava beans are yummy too.

I love how there are still discoveries, big & little, even years later. Yesterday I realised the waistband of my skirts & trousers don’t roll over & scrunch anymore like they used too. And they never feel crazy tight by the end of the day because I ate too much or am overly bloated. And I wear proper waist bands all the time - elastic waists be gone. Have a flat tummy now (except for a little loose skin pooch 😆) & no rolls of fat around my tummy & middle.